Page 14 of Faithless

Sure, it’s flattering to have him this angry over another man’s perceived intimacy with me, but I’ve seen it often enough to know it goes nowhere. This heat will turn into ice by tomorrow morning, and I’ll be left with the same hostile indifference I’ve had for fifteen years.

A marriage with no warmth or comfort.

I’d rather have nothing than this.

“Stephen has been very helpful with the kids’—”

“Baby, we need to get out of here.” Mark smiles lazily at Stephen. “She’s cute when she’s drunk but a little sloppy.”

When Stephen’s eyes widen, I turn to Mark, glaring. My breath catches in my throat when he grips my waist with both hands and crashes his mouth into mine. His kiss isn’t tender at all, but it sends a sizzling heat through my veins. When he pulls away, I gasp for air.

“Well…” Stephen says, that same amusement still there.

I take a deep breath. “Mark,” I grit out. “Are you sure I’m the drunk one?”

Those dark-green eyes gleam in the moonlight. “I’m just teasing you, sweetheart. I love it when you’re drunk. It means I get to take advantage of you when we get home.” He tightens his hold around my waist before turning to Stephen. “Nice meeting you.”

Stephen purses his lips. “You too.”

As we walk away, I turn to Mark. “He thinks you’re a fool.”

Mark huffs out a laugh. “I don’t care what he thinks of me, as long as he knows to keep his hands off you.”

CHAPTER 7

Mark

* * *

After she stretches those long, lithe arms to grab the hem of her dress, she lifts it slowly over her body. When the black material covers her face, she sets a foot out to steady herself. I can’t help but smile.

She’s drunk.

God, I love it. Whenever she’s like this, she reminds me of the darling girl I married. She’s warm and open with me—maybe even still a little shy—instead the woman with vacant eyes and a faraway voice.

“Let me help you, sweetheart.”

I step forward and pull the dress over her head, and the sight I’m rewarded with leaves me breathless. Fuck, she’s so beautiful. So beautiful it hurts. I knew what I was getting when I set out to acquire her.

A beautiful woman inside and out who would never truly be mine.

How can I even blame her for what she did? She told me when we started dating that she still loved her ex. She warned me during every step of the process.

I didn’t care.

Not then.

I knew I just needed to lock her down. I thought there was plenty of time for her to get over her childhood crush and grow to love me. But that couldn’t happen if I didn’t nail her down first.

I treated her like a client. Someone I could get to sign a contract first and win over later.

I was so wrong.

“Sweetheart,” she says softly. “You’re manipulating me.”

I smile as I glide my hand up the soft skin of her back until I find her bra strap and quickly unhook it. “Is it working?”

Her smile falters, and her eyes grow wide as her brows draws inward. Fuck, she looks so much like the girl I married. So sweet and vulnerable.

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